Ben Clymer's The Body Shop Palm Desert

Is Your Car on the "Most Hackable" List?

Many car experts were not shocked when some “white-hat” hackers managed to remotely control a Jeep Cherokee, disabling many of its functions. It didn't exactly rock the world of automotive cyber security, but it did add fuel to the continuing debate over the susceptibility of modern cars to hacking attacks. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), the maker of the Cherokee, reacted quickly to the news and immediately recalled more than one million vehicles over hacking risks—including Jeeps, Rams, Dodges and Chryslers. As a result of this recent hack attack, the overall security of every car equipped with a built-in infotainment system is likely in trouble and no longer secure.

Here at Ben Clymer's The Body Shop Palm Desert of Palm Desert, we are happy to be sharing this information with our readers and customers. If you have one of these hackable vehicles, you should have it looked at as soon as you possibly can.

2014 Jeep Cherokee

With modern vehicles' online weaknesses creating a huge buzz in the automotive world, forensic engineering experts that work on car technology put together a list of cars that are most and least vulnerable to remote hacking. The #1 car on this unfortunate list is the 2014 Jeep Cherokee after researchers studied a wide range of possible vulnerabilities of various late-model vehicles, focusing on the security of their Internet connections and other ancillary technologies that hackers might utilize to gain remote control of particular vehicle systems.

The 2014 Jeep Cherokee can be hacked through its Uconnect system that controls all of its steering, braking, transmission and other main systems. Reports revealed that the vehicle's Uconnect platform allowed hackers in to gain access to the Cherokee's adaptive cruise control, braking system, engine, parking assistance and lane-departure warning system.

2014 Infiniti Q50

The 2014 Infiniti Q50 is the #2 most hackable vehicle on this list, with the Infiniti Connection System showing some major gaps in its overall security.  The car's driver assistance, adaptive cruise control and remote keyless entry could all be accessed remotely by breaching the Infiniti Connection System.

2015 Cadillac Escalade 

#3 on the most hackable list is the 2015 Cadillac Escalade, due to its telematics that share the same network with the vehicle's engine controls, brakes, steering and tire pressure monitoring system. To non-technical people it basically means that if someone enters the telematics system, they can take over every other system within the car rather easily.

Other “Hackable” Vehicles

Other leaders in hacking vulnerabilities include the 2010 and 2014 Toyota Prius, because of its Toyota's Safety Connect System's that is reportedly a piece of cake for even less-experienced hackers. By breaking into Toyota's built-in infotainment system, hackers can assume complete control of the vehicle's keyless entry, pre-collision systems, brakes, steering system and self-parking system.

Another highly-hackable vehicle is the 2014 Ford Fusion, with hackers going in through the wireless connection provided by the car's SYNC system and enabling them to take control of numerous systems within the car.

So, if you drive one of these vehicles, what are your options? Can you do something to prevent it or just wait around praying that the hackers will never hit you? No. To prevent successful hack attacks, make certain that your software is regularly updated, familiarize yourself with all high-tech features that are available in your vehicle and secure passwords and network information related to your cars' telematics system. That way, you won't be one of the horror stories we've heard here in Palm Desert and all over the state of CA about people who lost their cars due to hacking.

Sources: Japolik, CNN and Forbes